Windows XP SP3 Infinite Loop Cycle

[Montanaman]

I downloaded a virus on accident like a failure.
I ALWAYS check what I download! I read comments, scanned, read reviews, etc, and this program that I wanted came up clean.
I scanned it with AVG 9 before I opened it too, so its very sneaky.
As soon as I opened it, my computer restarted. It went through the BIOS screen and I told it to use Last Known Good Configuration. It went a little ways (Until the Windows Logo had popped up and the little loading bar was there) and restarted. This time, I tried to load it in Safe Mode. It went through a series of files and directly after something named Mub.sys it stopped. After a bit something said "Press ESC to cancel loading SPTD.SYS." Ive tried over and over again and nothing I do can get me back on my desktop.

If I could just get to my desktop, I could eradicate this beastly virus, but I cant. My PC Troubleshooting and Repair teacher suggested I use a boot disk, but she only had a SP2 disk and I have Windows XP SP3. Obviously since I'm here, the disk did not work.

I have always gotten accurate and quick replies from this site and hope to have the same success this time.

If you need any more details, please ask and I will answer to the best of my ability.

Thanks a ton

 

[Montanaman]

Ive also tried pulling the RAM one stick at a time, checked all the cables, pulled the HD, etc.. Nothing simple has worked. Please keep in mind that I am on an older computer and that I dont know much about the non-GUI parts.

One major thing I CAN do is get on my BIOS Setup Screen. Thanks for any helpful suggestions.

 

[Bobbye]

Eli, you have posted in the Virus and Malware Removal forum. If you would like us to help you with malware, please follow the steps we have set up HERE.

Be sure to check the appropriate lines in both Malwarebyes and Superantispyware to remove what they find. Attach those 2 logs in your next reply.

Then scan with HijackThis- make NO removals there. We will instruct you in those removals. You may paste that log into the next reply. The logs will be reviewed and instructions will be given.

Must ask a bit of patience- there are way more people with malware than there are helpers!

 

[LookinAround]

@Bobbye - you missed an important subtlety.. Montanaman can't boot to his desktop! The startup process is failing.

@Montanaman.. You have a couple options on how to proceed
1) You might want to first use a boot disk to simply get to your files/folders so you can recover them to backup media. HOWEVER, beware the virus might get backed up to the media. So you before you connect that media to a new computer
> Turn off Autoruns
> Thoroughly run malware scans on the media
> See [post=766270]How to recover your folders/files when Windows won’t boot[/post]

2) Now for a boot disk
> What a/v do you use as many come with bootable disks to scan your computer for viruses
> Ideally it's a boot product that also downloads updates when it does the scan
> Also, there was a recent thread about bootable virus scans using a flash drive. See this thread

P.S. You might also want to look at running chkdsk /r from recovery console as the problem might filesystem corruption rather then (or in addition to) a virus

 

[Montanaman]

I just spent two days working on it. I had no boot disks for my OS... I had no boot disks at all, really.
One of my friends advised me that I try booting it to Ubuntu. I used my moms laptop to download and mount the .ISO to a CD... Booted straight up. Got in the files and deleted the virus through Ubuntu. Its all fixed now though, but thanks anyway!

 

[LookinAround]

Great job :grinthumb :grinthumb

 

[Bobbye]

Yes, I did miss that LookinAround. Must have been another long day into night!

Thanks for catching it.